By Azi Stella, Obot Festus & Adibe Adaora
The Honourable Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji has affirmed that for Nigeria to experience industrial development, the role of innovation and technology cannot be overemphasized. The Honourable Minister stated this at the opening of the biannual Nigerian Manufacturing & Equipment/ Nigeria Raw Materials (NME/NIRAM) Expo 2025 on Tuesday, August 5, 2025 in Lagos.
While commending the Raw Materials Research and Development Council (RMRDC) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) for organising such a timely Expo, Chief Nnaji further stated that the Expo provides a strategic platform for inspiring new innovative ideas that are capable of moving Nigeria manufacturing forward. He emphasized that one of the major planks of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is strengthening the capacity and capabilities of Nigeria’s manufacturing industry to innovate and produce products that would significantly reduce the country’s over dependence on importation.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Director General and Chief Executive of RMRDC, Professor Nnanyelugo M. Ike-Muonso informed participants that the 2025 edition of the Expo with the theme: “Accelerating Sustainable Manufacturing Through Cutting Edge Equipment And Technology Solutions” was “more than a reflection of global trend, but a clarion call for Nigeria to decisively reposition itself within the dynamics of the fourth industrial revolution”. According to the RMRDC DG, for Nigeria to become a major industrial player in the global space, “we must reduce foreign raw materials imports by at least 60% in the next five years and significantly increase local resource utilization; incentivize value addition through technology adoption and tax support; support the emergence of industrial hubs and clusters around strategic raw materials zones; deepen research-industry collaboration for tailored innovation, facilitate technology transfer, infrastructure finance, and SME integration across the manufacturing spectrum.
Prof Ike-Muonso described the 2025 NME/NIRAM Expo as one of such important moments where Nigeria’s industrial future is debated, designed and driven. He called on all participants, policymakers, entrepreneurs, researchers and development partners to engage meaningfully and ensure that the forum produces not only insightful discussions but also investable partnerships, implementable policy outcomes, and inclusive industrial outcomes.
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